Club Service

Club Service includes the scope of activities that Rotarians undertake in support of their club, such as serving on committees, proposing individuals for membership, and meeting attendance requirements.

A significant difference between Club Service and the other Avenues of service is that it is directed towards the internal functioning of the club. The mandate of Club Service is to maintain the vigor and health of the Club, while the other Avenues are directed towards the community and the larger world in which we live.

Within Club Service is the Membership Committee, which seeks out potential new members and recommends them to the club and the Board of Directors. Members in Rotary are listed in a specific "Classification." Each member of a specific Classification is the sole member of that profession in the club. Exceptions can be made if the existing holder of a specific classification approves an "Auxiliary Classification Member." Certain groups, such as real estate agents or attorneys may get around the exclusive classification by naming an area of specialty, such as commercial real estate or corporate law.

Although membership in service organizations has shown a decline nationally over the past decade, our club is proud to be experiencing a growth spurt. Several factors can be attributed to this fact. Our club has always tried to maintain a more relaxed feeling than many other clubs do. We meet in the evening, after work, and many members want some time for fellowship and relaxation. A light atmosphere is often maintained with the infusion of a joke or two during the "Good News" portion of the meeting. Also, interesting speakers and programs has been a key. We have made a concerted effort to bring in speakers and presenters from a wide array of occupations and experience. Programs have included local political figures, the Chief of police, head of the local NAACP, an author of Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy murders, the head of the Weinberg Center for the Arts, the head of the county Economic Development, a Nobel Prize winner and many others. We attempt to obtain speakers that are both informative and entertaining.

Potential new members are required to attend three meetings prior to being asked to join. They are encouraged to speak to a variety of the club members and to learn all that they can about Rotary and our club. Club officers are directed to make contact with new prospects and to assist them in learning about the club. After the third meeting, the club president, sponsoring member and membership committee chairperson take the prospective member out to breakfast. This event has come to be known as "Oatmealing," due to the cholesterol reducing effects our membership chairman preaches for that particular breakfast food. At this informal breakfast meeting, club policies, rules and requirements are reviewed. The potential member also has an opportunity to ask any questions that he or she may have. If all goes well, the next step is to propose membership to the board and members of the club. Following no objections, the new member is inducted within two weeks and given an official Rotary pin and membership certificate, along with a packet of information.

New members are encouraged to get involved as soon as possible with one of our club projects or committees. We have learned over the years that this helps the new member to feel a sense of belonging to the club. They no longer feel like a visitor or "new kid on the block."

Fundraising is also the responsibility of the Club Avenue. Interesting and low stress projects are the key. We have discovered that the majority of our members don't like to sell tickets to raffles or other events. We have had reasonable success with "limited" ticket sales. Some of our past fund-raisers have included concerts, working concession stands, Super Bowl Pool, and yard sales. We are always open to new ideas for fundraising. It is with the assistance of our fundraising efforts that our club is able to support and donate to the many local and international projects in which we have participated.

Another object of Club Service is Public Relations. It is important to help educate the public on the good work of Rotary, on a local, national and international level. Regular press releases about our club projects and programs helps to keep us in the public eye. This effort not only helps to educate the public on the good work we do, but it also helps attract potential members seeking a venue in which to give back to the community.

The final primary function of the Club Avenue is Communication. We have found the best way to keep the members abreast of our latest activities is via the use of a weekly e-newsletter. Members receive an e-mail newsletter every week that tells of recent prior programs, upcoming events, club officers, committee chairs, and any other information that may be pertinent or interesting to the members. You can view our latest newsletter by clicking on the "Newsletter" button on our home page. In the new era of cyberspace, our communication committee not only serves to inform our own members, but also the world community. It is with that concept that this web site was conceived and developed.